 | |
| Sport | Rugby union |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1889 |
| President | Samantha Shorter [1] |
| Website | bcrugby.com |
The British Columbia Rugby Union (BCRU) is the provincial administrative body for rugby union in British Columbia, Canada. The BCRU consists of nine sub-unions and 65 clubs. It was originally organized in New Westminster in 1889 where Alfred St. George Hamersley, the former England rugby union captain and recent immigrant to Vancouver, and member of Vancouver Football (Rugby) Club, became the first President.[2] The same man is credited with founding the Amateur Athletic Club of British Columbia.[3] and previously had introduced the game of rugby to the youth of South Canterbury, New Zealand.[4] The current headquarters is on the west side of Vancouver.
British Columbia is considered a hotspot for rugby in Canada, as its mild weather allows the sport to be played year-round.
The BCRU is responsible for organizing the British Columbia Premier League, the provincial men's club championship, and the Ruth Hellerud-Brown Senior Women's Premier Competition. It also oversees provincial representative teams which compete for national championships organized by Rugby Canada.
The BCRU also has a British Columbia Rugby Hall of Fame.
- ^ About BC Rugby
- ^ Touchlines - The Magazine of the Rugby Memorabilia Society, Issue 43, April 2009 Archived 2013-07-26 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Debrett's House of Commons Volume: 1918, publisher: London Dean
- ^ The Sydney Morning Herald. - Feb 27, 1929